The shuttle is expected to depart Kennedy Space Center April 17 for a non-stop ferry flight atop a 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to Dulles International Airport, NASA and the Smithsonian Institution said Thursday.

In the last major processing operation in preparation for the flight, technicians fitted a tail cone over replica main engines installed on the retired shuttle, Florida Today reported.

On April 19 Discovery will be towed into the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

The orbiter prototype Enterprise, currently displayed there, will then have its own ferry flight to New York City for display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

Later this year the shuttles Endeavour and Atlantis are scheduled to move to their respective display sites in Los Angeles and on Florida's Space Coast.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Jan 17, 2012 - The relocation of the RS-25D space shuttle main engine inventory from Kennedy Space Center's Engine Shop in Cape Canaveral, Fla., is underway. The RS-25D flight engines, repurposed for NASA's Space Launch System, are being moved to NASA's Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi.

The Space Launch System (SLS) is a new heavy-lift launch vehicle that will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.

The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is leading the design and development of the SLS for NASA, including the engine testing program. SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, its crew, cargo, equipment and science experiments to destinations in deep space.

"The relocation of RS-25D engine assets represents a significant cost savings to the SLS Program by consolidating SLS engine assembly and test operations at a single facility," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA's Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

The RS-25Ds - to be used for the SLS core stage - will be stored at Stennis until testing begins at a future date. Testing is already under way on the J-2X engine, which is planned for use in the SLS upper stage.

Using the same fuel system - liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen - for both core and upper stages reduces costs by leveraging the existing knowledge base, skills, infrastructure and personnel.

"This enables the sharing of personnel, resources and practices across all engine projects, allows flexibility and responsiveness to the SLS program, and it is more affordable," said Johnny Heflin, RS-25D core stage engine lead in the SLS Liquid Engines Office at Marshall.

"It also frees up the space, allowing Kennedy to move forward relative to commercial customers."

The 15 RS-25D engines at Kennedy are being transported on the 700-mile journey using existing transportation and processing procedures that were used to move engines between Kennedy and Stennis during the Space Shuttle Program. They will be relocated one at time by truck.

Built by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, Calif. the RS-25D engine powered NASA's space shuttle program with 100 percent mission success.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Sep 30, 2011 - When Atlantis' STS-135 mission lifted off from Launch Pad 39A on July 8, 2011, on NASA's final space shuttle launch, it was carried aloft by the last two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) assembled at Kennedy Space Center for the Space Shuttle Program. Two of the SRB's major components also helped launch Columbia on the first space shuttle launch.

External Fuel Tank/SRB Vehicle Manager Alicia Mendoza said the cylinder on the left-hand forward motor segment and the forward skirt on the right-hand forward assembly flew on STS-1 in 1981.

"Components flown on the first and last missions of the program are a fitting testament to the robustness of the reusable design of the SRBs," Mendoza said.

"Even of greater significance is the professionalism of the unique team of thousands of individuals who have retrieved, refurbished and assembled the hardware during the past 30 years."

For three decades, the twin SRBs provided the main thrust to help send space shuttles and hundreds of astronauts on 135 missions into space.

The SRBs generated a combined thrust of 5.3 million pounds, which is equivalent to 44 million horsepower or 400,000 subcompact cars. Each SRB was 149.2 feet tall, which is only two feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty. However, each 700-ton loaded booster weighed more than three times as much as the famous statue.

The left SRB sported a black stripe on the forward assembly, just below the nose cone, to distinguish it from the right SRB during re-entry into the atmosphere and retrieval operations out in the Atlantic Ocean.

Several facilities at Kennedy were used to process the SRBs major components.

The boosters arrived in eight segments by railcar from ATK in Utah.

"It takes 22 days to build the four segments into a flight-ready SRB stacked on the platform," Mendoza said.

At Kennedy, about 600 NASA, USA and ATK engineers and technicians worked to process the SRBs from beginning to retrieval until after launch.

"Their skill, dedication and passion are the reasons for the success of this great nation's Space Shuttle Program," Mendoza said

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Williston VT (SPX) Aug 18, 2011 - MicroStrain Inc. provided NASA Kennedy Space Center with the wireless sensor technology to remotely monitor lift off acoustics and vibration generated during the launch of both Endeavour and Atlantis space shuttles. The noise generated by rocket exhaust affects the safety of spacecraft, ground facilities and hazardous equipment.

Data gathered by MicroStrain's sensors was used in corroborating prediction models. The deployed sensor network provides NASA with the means to implement scalable, wireless sensors capable of proactively monitoring high-value, hazardous systems.

NASA considered several systems and determined that MicroStrain's sensor solutions met their requirements for this particular project. Using MicroStrain sensors, NASA engineers Rudy Werlink and Ravi Margasahayam quantified the acoustic levels generated by the launch of space craft at a distance just over one mile from launch site. Using this data, engineers were able to validate math models for far-field acoustics.

NASA's Margasahayam, describes the technology as, "a tool for Safety and Mission Assurance to support issues of safety, reliability, and maintainability of equipment and structures by condition monitoring." The test data is key to study the safety and operational readiness and/or to predict impending failure of ground structures, spacecraft, and equipment.

MicroStrain's wireless solution was comprised of multiple G-Link accelerometers, a SG-Link strain node, a wireless sensor data aggregator (WSDA), and SensorCloud, the company's latest web based data management platform.

MicroStrain's wireless systems provided a solution for many of the unique NASA test parameters. Unable to access the test site 48 hours prior to launch, the system was required to operate during this period in anticipation of launch.

The result yielded over 3 gigabytes of data. By leveraging the remote data visualization and management tool, SensorCloud, MicroStrain support engineers assisted NASA to isolate and interpret launch event data.

"The NASA project provided a great opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of our wireless sensor networks," said MicroStrain President and CEO, Steve Arms.

"SensorCloud is a ground-breaking technology that enables users to view key data from anywhere and offers creative new ways to manage wireless sensor networks and enhance condition based monitoring systems. We are excited to have the opportunity to work with NASA on this significant application."

Full case study is available online.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Peterson AFB CO (SPX) Aug 11, 2011 - The landing of the shuttle Atlantis July 21 marked the end of an era of space exploration. Behind the scenes, thousands of people have helped the U.S. space program make history while only a few faces have been recognized.

Several of the 21st Space Wing's geographically separated units have been critical in ensuring the safety and success of the shuttle program. The 6th Space Warning Squadron at Cape Cod Air Force Station, Mass., 7th SWS at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and 20th Space Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., track more than 22,000 near-earth and deep space objects, shuttle missions and the International Space Station.

From launch to landing these GSUs are tracking the shuttle and any objects that could potentially collide with the shuttle.

"The 6th Space Warning Squadron at Cape Cod Air Force Station supported NASA's space shuttle missions by tracking shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral into orbit, and then by tracking the shuttles, the International Space Station, and other low-earth orbiting objects," said 1st Lt. Stefan Wladyka, 6th SWS Operations Support Flight assistant commander.

"The 6th Space Warning Squadron frequently updates the Joint Functional Component Command for Space 'space catalog' to help maintain space situational awareness and facilitate safe and responsible orbital operations," Wladyka said. "The predictability and accuracy of the 6th Space Warning Squadron's space track observations contributed to the protection of the space shuttle and its astronauts, and will continue to help protect vital national resources into the future."

On the opposite coast, another of the 21st Space Wing's geographically separated units kept its eyes on the skies as well.

According to Capt. Chris Leininger, 7th SWS Operations Support Flight commander, the space surveillance mission provides data on the trajectories of low-earth orbiting objects, objects within 2,000 kilometers of earth's surface. This data is used to help improve collision avoidance and safety for objects currently in orbit and new ones being launched.

"(The) 7th SWS tracked the orbiter while it was on orbit, and during docking and undocking maneuvers with the International Space Station as part of our space surveillance mission," Leininger said.

The 20th SPCS, 6th SWS and 7th SWS have similar space surveillance missions and with manned space missions, surveillance becomes increasingly important.

"Much of the satellite tracking is done automatically by the radar," Leininger said. "But because these are manned missions, they are actively monitored by the radar operations crews."

Capt. Aaron Lynch, 20th SPCS Operations Flight commander , said, "In 2009, observations collected by the 20th SPCS led NASA to evacuate astronauts from the International Space Station into the Russian Soyuz manned spacecraft after identifying objects with a close trajectory to the space station."

Most of the space debris are less than one millimeter in diameter and cause no damage. However, according to the NASA website, the shuttle occasionally had to dodge objects if it was determined there was a one in 10,000 chance of a collision.

The shuttles are back on earth now, but the mission of the 6th SWS, 7th SWS and 20th SPCS continues with only a few minor changes.

"We continue to perform the space surveillance mission since there are still many objects up there (that) we want our functioning satellites to be able to avoid," Leininger said.

Additionally, the United States will continue to send astronauts to space using the Russian Soyuz capsule and the 6th SWS, 7th SWS and 20th SPCS will continue to closely monitor manned missions to the International Space Station.

When the United States once again sends astronauts into space, the crews will be ready to support the program safely and effectively, Lynch said.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Aug 10, 2011 - It will take two large cranes, a specially built sling, four masts and about 45 people to perform the complex maneuvers to safely lift a space shuttle off the back of a modified 747. Because it hasn't been done in more than 20 years, teams rehearsed the lift on the Shuttle Landing Facility's ramp at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

It is a scene coming soon to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York as NASA's shuttles are handed over to museums for public display. Each of those cities will receive one of the shuttles, including Enterprise, the prototype shuttle used to prove the design could glide safely to a landing after returning from orbit. One of the shuttles, Atlantis, will be displayed at Kennedy.

"People have different emotions about it, but I'm kind of honored to put them in their final display location," said Casey Wood of United Space Alliance's Integrated Landing Operations. He is part of the team that will oversee the work.

During the more than 30 years the space shuttles were in development and launching, they have been lifted onto and off of 747s numerous times, most often when the shuttle landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Those moves were performed by specially designed structures at Kennedy and in California called "mate-demate devices."

The MDDs, as they are called, are shaped to let the 747, called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, wheel in beneath a sling that lifts and holds the shuttle.

Only once did a shuttle not land in either location, and that was back in 1983 at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Had the shuttle made an emergency landing overseas or at a different runway, the mobile system would have been taken there to load the shuttle to the SCA.

The mobile lift system was used in 1985 when Enterprise moved to Washington, D.C.

"This system has been stored in cargo containers for more than 20 years, and that's why we wanted to do the test," Wood said. "We were just missing the plane and the orbiter."

The shuttle will weigh about 175,000 pounds - more than 87 tons - when it is readied for public viewing. That's a heavy enough load to cause a crane's boom to flex slightly.

"The actual lift is probably the biggest challenge," Wood said. "With our lift, we can only go directly up or directly down. It's strictly vertical, there's no lateral movement."

To get it right, the team trucked all the gear out of storage over to the Shuttle Landing Facility and set it up.

The sling is almost identical to the ones used at the MDDs, used to hoist the shuttle and mate or demate to the SCA. This sling was used in Palmdale, Calif., where the shuttles were built, and used to lift the shuttle there.

The setup includes four masts that connect to the sling.

"That gives us our steadiness and wind restraint," Wood said.

They had to drill about 200 holes in the ramp to anchor the different elements firmly. With everything in place, they can perform the work in winds up to about 20 mph.

With this test accomplished, Wood said the team is reworking a few procedures to adapt them to the different locations. Discovery is scheduled to be the first shuttle to go through the operation for real, when it is ferried up to Washington, D.C., for display at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in the spring of 2012.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Aug 02, 2011 - Atlantis carried many science and research experiments in its middeck during NASA's last shuttle flight, STS-135, in July. Among these was a plant experiment developed at Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL) that could have an impact on long duration missions to the moon or Mars.

Principal Investigators Dr. Gary Stutte and Dr. Michael Roberts with QinetiQ NA, and NASA Project Scientist Dr. Howard Levine created the Biological Research in Canisters-Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment (BRIC-SyNRGE).

A first of its kind to fly on a space shuttle, the purpose of the experiment was to study the symbiotic relationship between plants similar to alfalfa, which is in the legume family, and specific nitrogen-reacting bacteria in microgravity.

"It's a distinct honor to have had an experiment onboard Atlantis, the final space shuttle mission, and I am indebted to everyone who worked so hard to make it possible to be a part of this historic mission," Stutte said.

About four hours after Atlantis landed at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, the BRIC-SyNRGE experiment was retrieved and returned to the SLS Laboratory. Stutte said that initial reviews show that there was 100 percent germination of the plant seeds and excellent growth was observed.

"The SyNRGE science team has begun processing the samples and looks forward to learning the effects of microgravity," Stutte said. "Plants and the microbial world have been of interest at Kennedy for many years."

According to Stutte, the bacteria were introduced to each plant sample's root hairs in order to study the effect. What he and the SyNRGE team are hoping to find is that the plants have formed specialized nodules where the bacteria can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plants can use to produce proteins.

The alfalfa-like plant, Medicago truncatula, was grown in a plant chamber at the SLSL. The day before Atlantis' launch, several laboratory rooms were abuzz with activity. In one lab, samples were carefully harvested and inserted into Petri dish units.

In another lab, technicians added the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and a liquid preservative to the dishes. In yet another room, plant units were inserted into the canisters. A total of 120 Petri dishes were installed in eight canisters.

Each canister contained five units and a temperature sensor. The experiment was transported to the launch pad and added to Atlantis middeck as a late stowage item the evening before launch.

Stutte said this kind of study could provide a path for better food production, improve agricultural areas in third world countries, and reduce resupply costs for fertilizer. It could also have an impact on how food sources are grown during long duration space missions.

"Legumes are a major direct source of food for man," Stutte said. "These include soybeans, peas and beans. Also, forage for livestock, including alfalfa and clover."

During the STS-135 mission, crew members monitored the temperature of the BRIC-SyNRGE samples, added a fixing liquid to half of the samples to preserve them and left the other half untouched.

"We hope that our results provide information on how synergistic relationships form between plants and bacteria, and that we use that knowledge to benefit food and fiber production on Earth," Stutte said. "We hope our research brings us closer to achieving sustainable life support systems that permit long term habitation and colonization of space."

Levine said funding for the project was initiated in September of 2010 for the experiment to fly in July of 2011.

"It takes an incredible amount of skill and effort on the part of both the science and engineering teams. They are all to be commended." Levine commented.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Washington (AFP) Aug 2, 2011 - A piece of the ill-fated space shuttle Columbia has surfaced in eastern Texas, where a severe drought has dried up a lake and exposed debris from the 2003 accident, NASA said Tuesday.

The globe-shaped object that turned up in Lake Nacogdoches, north of Houston, was one of 18 tanks on Columbia that helped power the shuttle, said NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone.

"Late last week, we were contacted by the Nacogdoches sheriff's office letting us know that they had found an item of what they thought was Columbia debris," Malone told AFP.

"The drought caused the lake to recede and the levels are down, which exposed the tank."

Pictures were sent to NASA engineers at Kennedy Space Center, and experts quickly confirmed that the tank must have been part of Columbia, she said. Several of the tanks have already been recovered in past years.

The shuttle disintegrated on its way back to Earth in 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board and leaving a trail of debris that spanned several hundred miles.

The cause of the accident was later linked to a faulty heat shield that had been damaged by a piece of foam that broke fee shortly after liftoff.

Malone said 38-40 percent of the shuttle has been recovered, and local communities throughout Texas and Louisiana still report discoveries of bits of the spacecraft several times every year.

"We are trying to make plans to get it shipped back to Florida," said Malone, who noted that it will soon join other parts of Columbia stored at Kennedy Space Center.

"The area where it is located is real soft and mushy, and we can't even get a vehicle over there. The tank is full of mud," she said.

The space shuttle program formally ended last month after 30 years, with the final flight of Atlantis to the International Space Station.

NASA's Challenger shuttle exploded shortly after liftoff in 1986 due to cold weather and a technical flaw, killing seven astronauts.

The remaining shuttles -- Atlantis, Endeavour, Discovery and Enterprise -- will soon become museum pieces.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Albuquerque NM (SPX) Jul 27, 2011 - Nine engineers from Sandia National Laboratories helped ensure Atlantis' safety from Mission Control at Johnson Space Center as the shuttle made its final flight, marking the end of NASA's 30-year space shuttle program. For the past 22 missions - every one since NASA's 2005 return to space - Sandia Labs' engineers have worked tirelessly to protect the astronauts with ingenious, space-based inspections of the orbiter's thermal protection system.

After Columbia's debris-damaged heat shield failed in 2003, causing the tragic accident that took the lives of all seven on board, Sandia developed a laser dynamic range imager, or LDRI, which generates 3-D images from two-dimensional video. The LDRI Orbiter Inspection System (LOIS) is attached to the orbiter's boom and scans the heat shield twice - once 18 hours after liftoff and then again the day before re-entry - to ensure that no part of the orbiter's heat shield was damaged during launch or orbit.

"It's been an excellent relationship between Sandia and NASA and a true team effort," said Bob Habbit, manager of Sandia's Remote Sensing and Communications System group. "The people we work with here are, in effect, co-workers. We've had a very tight relationship, so it's tough to see that relationship come to a close for this project, but again, we are very proud of what we've been able to do and the support we've provided for NASA."

The effort needed to execute the scan is extensive. In the early days, beginning with the launch of Discovery on July 26, 2005, Sandia took a 24-person team to Texas to oversee all aspects of LOIS; some of that work was eventually turned over to NASA, so for the last 17 missions, usually only nine or 10 Sandians went to Houston for the hands-on work.

"We led the inspection activity and operations in the payloads operations center for the data collections. We validated that the data was correct and that the sensor was operating properly, and then we reviewed the work of the NASA team to make sure that the data had been processed correctly," Habbit said. "That was our principal role, but in the event that there was some defect found, we provided technical expertise and support to the mission management team."

Sandia's role extended beyond the launch and re-entry; team members worked intensely before, during and after each mission to ensure everything went smoothly. "After every touchdown, once the orbiter returned to Kennedy Space Center, we did a full checkout and calibration on LOIS, and then we would integrate it back to the orbiter at the Orbiter Processing Facility," Habbit said. "Before the next launch, our team would again test the system on the launch pad before the payload bay doors were closed."

The shuttle program has launched 355 astronauts into space since its inception in 1981, hauled into orbit and maintained the Hubble Telescope (which captured its millionth observation July 4), and was the workhorse that assembled the International Space Station. As the nation awaits the next manned missions into space, Sandia's team is already participating in panels exploring NASA's future needs.

NASA gave Sandia a tremendous honor after exceptional work during STS-131 in April 2010. NASA managers invited Sandia's team to be part of the STS-131 plaque-hanging ceremony, a long-standing tradition to acknowledge outstanding efforts during the mission. The ceremony took place in the Mission Evaluation Room's conference room, which is across the hall from the historic Apollo Mission Control Center.

Sandia's final inspection of Atlantis was July 19, and all went smoothly. To mark the occasion, Habbit wrote in an email to his colleagues: "This milestone is met with conflicting emotions - a great deal of pride and accomplishment for an excellent contribution to the nation and sadness to see Sandia's NASA shuttle program partnership come to closure."

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Paris, France (ESA) Jul 22, 2011 - Thus was history made: Space Shuttle Atlantis left the International Space Station on Tuesday and made its last return to Earth. The Shuttle era is now over and the door is open to the next generation of space vehicles.

After an additional day to accommodate the cargo movements to and from the Raffaello transport module, the STS-135 mission lasted 12 days 18 hours 27 minutes. The main wheels of Atlantis touched the runway at 11:56:58 CEST (09:56:58 GMT) in Florida.

Along with four astronauts, the spaceplane brought back a precious load of biomedical samples.

The Shuttle's retirement leaves Russia's smaller Soyuz craft as the only way to make return trips to the Station. The capacity for bringing down items is now very limited.

Atlantis also returned with 2.5 tonnes of waste, hardware no longer needed and a faulty ammonia pump for investigation.

Atlantis will now join the decommissioned vehicles of the Shuttle fleet, to be handed over to US museums.

In this case, the trip will be a short one: Atlantis will be a major attraction at the Kennedy Space Center's nearby visitor complex.

"This was the last flight of this fantastic vehicle, which was able to carry more than 20 tonnes to space and back," said Thomas Reiter, ESA's Director for Human Spaceflight and Operations and one of the 24 European astronauts to have flown on a Shuttle.

"This is sad, but also we're looking into the future about the new things that will happen.

"We will continue to operate the Station for the upcoming years, when we have to rely on the Russian Soyuz capsules for human transportation, but also the new transportation systems will soon come to the market."

related report
Atlantis has landed - an interview with DLR Chairman Johann-Dietrich Worner
Just before sunrise, Atlantis, the last space shuttle to fly in space, touched down at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, 21 July 2011 at 05:57 local time (11:57 CEST). This marks the end of the 30-year era of the US space shuttle. In this interview, Johann-Dietrich Worner, Chairman of the DLR Executive Board, talks about the future of human spaceflight after the end of the space shuttle programme.

When the space shuttle Atlantis landed at the Kennedy Space Center on 21 July 2011, a 30-year era came to an end. What will happen in the next chapter of German and international human spaceflight, following this pause?

Space flight has outgrown the status of being a 'demonstration of power' that it had during the Cold War and become part of our everyday infrastructure, directly affecting areas such as weather and climate monitoring, navigation and communication.

It is equally evident in human spaceflight, where experiments on the biological effects of weightlessness and the absence of the protective envelope of Earth's atmosphere can be performed. However, both manned and robotic spaceflight will continue to be part of mankind's efforts to further its knowledge and explore unknown worlds.

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft are now the only means of transport available to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. Can they really replace the space shuttle? What particular challenges will arise for the next manned missions?

Soyuz and the space shuttle have proven to be reliable transportation for cosmonauts and astronauts in recent decades. The shuttle was also capable of carrying larger payloads into orbit and bringing them back to Earth - this is a capability we will be lacking for the next few years.

Unfortunately, the idea of adapting the ATV for this purpose, which was developed a few years ago, is not likely to be implemented in the near future, owing to the financial constraints on member states of the European Space Agency (ESA).

We are now waiting to see what the Commercial Crew Development Program (CCDev2), the US initiative for commercial space flight, can achieve. The goal of this programme is to provide another means of transport for human spaceflight as soon as possible, following the last shuttle flight.

The German Federal Government's space strategy focuses primarily on the benefits of space for people on Earth. How can manned missions continue to fulfil this requirement in view of the more limited transportation capability? For example, what role can experiments in microgravity involving astronauts play?

Experiments in microgravity involving astronauts are certain to continue. The boundary conditions for this do not date from the pre-shuttle era. Besides the ISS, the ATV and HTV are available as means of transport, and the global space network offers additional options. However, the issue of bringing back equipment, experiments and samples needs to be resolved soon.

Looking at international collaboration, are there serious plans, for example, to use the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), in which Germany has had a large involvement, to transport astronauts?

The ATV is already used in human space flight. It transports food and other materials for the astronauts and automatically docks to the International Space Station, Hence it fulfils an important function for human spaceflight and addresses the specific safety requirements. But it is not designed for transporting people.

Rather, we need to see whether cooperation between the United States and Europe, in particular, can lead to the implementation of new configurations when combining European and US technology and experience taking into account financial possibilities. There are plenty of ideas.

What is your opinion regarding the privatisation and commercialisation of spaceflight? What commitment from private industry do you think is reasonable for future exploration missions?

Privatisation and commercialisation are two different things. Private companies are already successful in the field of communication and are investing in space in a similar way to their earthbound infrastructure. In human spaceflight, some companies have opted for space tourism as a business model and are developing appropriate vehicles for flights at altitudes of over 100 kilometres.

For commercial space transportation, Europe has established a 'prototype' with Arianespace, where an independent business receives government support, which is being used as a model by other countries. In the fields of science and exploration, the government will continue to play a key role in financing the space flight of the future.

]]> Thu, 09 FEB 2012 09:06:55 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D